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Performance evaluation of martensitic press-hardened steels by VDA 238-100 three-point bend testing has become commonplace. Significant influences on bending performance exist from both surface considerations related to both decarburization and substrate-coating interaction and base martensitic steel considerations such as structural heterogeneity, i.e., banding, prior austenite grain size, titanium nitride (TiN) dispersion, mobile hydrogen, and the extent of martensite tempering as result auto-tempering upon quenching or paint baking during vehicle manufacturing. Deconvolution of such effects is challenging in practice, but it is increasingly accepted that surface considerations play an outsized role in bending performance. For specified surface conditions, however, the base steel microstructure can greatly influence bending performance and associated crash ductility to meet safety and mass-efficiency targets.